FUGHT
5 January
A Canberra B.20 of 2 Sqn, RAAF, passes Penang Island on its return to RAAF Butterworth, Malaya, after a
bombing exercise over the Song Song range. The squadron, with its eight aircraft, is moving to South Vietnam
to increase Australia's commitment in that conflict, as recounted on the .preceding page
there, the RAAF Caribous ferry down
supplies from Saigon which have been
laaded there by RAAF C-130s from Aus-
tralia. C-130s operating in direct support
of the Australian task force, will resume
flights into Vung Tau immediately this
is possible. The present closure of the
maia rumway, however, makes it likely
that ike base for 2 Sqn, with Canberras,
will be elsewhere.
New Italian Strike Fighter
THE FIAT G.91Y, a twin-engined develop-
ment of the light tactical fighter flown by
the Italian, German and Greek air forces,
made its first flight from Turin on
December 27 (illustrated on this page
and oa page 2; the aircraft was des-
cribed in our June 2, 1966, issue, page
936). The G.91Y, piloted by Cmdt
Vittorio Sanseverino, Fiat's chief test
pilot, performed satisfactorily during the
45min maiden flight.
Two GE J85-GE-13 engines, deliver-
ing a total static thrust of 8,1601b with
afterburner, greatly enliven the perfor-
mance of the new variant, the prototype
of which has been rebuilt from an earlier
machine. Limiting Mach number is 0.96
at altitude. Maximum take-off weight of
the G.91Y, which is fitted with more
modern navigation and weapons control
equipment than are currently operational
models, is 19,2001b and empty weight is
9,5001b.
No sales of the G.91Y have yet been
announced, though its development has
been encouraged by the Italian Govern-
ment and the Aeronautica Militare can
be expected to buy some, possibly to
replace F-84Fs and RF-84Fs. The air-
craft was at one time of close interest as
a potential Thunderjet replacement for
the Royal Netherlands and Belgian Air
Forces, but their choice is now the
Northrop F-5.
New Job for Hummingbird
UNDER TWO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED COn-
rracts from the USAF, the Lockheed
Hummingbird VTOL research aircraft is
to be modified for flight and stability
development work in support of the
United States/West German Republic
VTOL fighter programme.
Two XV-4A Hummingbirds were built
under US Army contract to evaluate the
augmented-jet ejector-lift system, and the
Two engines where there was only one before: the Fiat G.9IY twin-engined tactical
strike/reconnaissance fighter lands at Turin after its first flight on December 27. (See
item on this page)
first flew on July 7, 1962, but crashed
on June 10, 1964, with the loss of its
pilot.
The first contract covers the modifica-
tion by Lockheed-Georgia of the remain-
ing aircraft to take six General Electric
engines of unspecified type, in place of
the two existing Pratt & Whitney
JT12A-3s, each of 3,30001b thrust. Two
of the six will be deflected-thrust propul-
sion engines, while the remainder will be
of the pure lift type, thus simulating the
powerplant configuration of the US/
German VTOL fighter project.
Work is to start immediately, and the
XV-4B, as it will be known, will fly
late in 1967. Preliminary flight trials by
the company will last for about five
months, after which the aircraft will be
transferred to North American, who,
under the second contract (to last for 39
months), will develop and install a
stability/flight control system in conjunc-
tion with the USAF Dynamics Labora-
tory. The aircraft will then be used in an
intensive flight programme to evaluate
handling qualities and establish control
system criteria.
More Migs for Vietnam
NORTH VIETNAM has doubled the size of
its Mig force in recent weeks with the
delivery by sea of 100 new aircraft from
Russia, according to a report from
Saigon. North Vietnam now has an
estimated 200 Migs, composed of the
-17, -19 and -21 models, and most of
these are believed to be operational in
the Red River delta industrial area
around Hanoi and the port of Haiphong.
More Alouettes for RNcthAF
AN ORDER worth about £2 million has
been placed by the Royal Netherlands
Air Force for 27 Sud Alouette III heli-
copters. This will be later extended to 45,
thus making the Netherlands—which
already has Alouette Ills in service—the
largest user of the type.
The aircraft will be used for artillery
observation, casualty evacuation and
light transport work.
A second DH Rapide has recently been presented to the Parachute Regiment's Red Devils team
of free fall parachutists by Rothmans of Pall Mall. The new aircraft, "Pegasus," is seen here
with the original Rapide "Invicta." In the last 12 months the company has sponsored three
overseas demonstrations by members of the Red Devils appearing as the Rothmans Sky Dive"
in their free time